China to build world`s first "artificial sun" experimental device

Angola Press ^ | 01/21 | Angola Press

[Abathar]

"It will require a total investment of nearly 300 million yuan (37 million U.S. dollars), only one fifteenth to one twentieth the cost of similar devices being developed in the other parts of the world."

I don't think I would want to be living in the hut next to this when they light it off, I firmly believe the old addage "You get what you pay for."

[babyface00]

If a device is developed that can withstand temperatures as high as 100 million Celsius degrees and control a deuterium-tritium reaction

Well, if that's all there is to it, what's taking so long?

[FreedomNeocon]

Silver Lining.... about time the ChiComs / Ruskies spend the dough and develop someting we can STEAL from than, after the decades of them leeching off of us.

[Abathar]

As I was posting this I saw the story was linked to the Angola Press. Somehow I doubt their science editor is really a top notch professional.

[bvw]

So China's bought into that perrennial money-pit of big science.

[johnandrhonda]

Gee, this is very good news...all of the worlds energy problems solved for only $37 million...AS IF

[from occupied ga]

clean nuclear-fusion-based energy, .....and an enormous amount of energy can be obtained from a deuterium-tritium fusion reaction

A total lie right here. Deuterium/tritium is NOT clean it produces an extra neutron that goes on to transmute all sorts of nasty isotopes in the surrounding structure.

[Abathar]

At 1/20th the cost of what we would have to spend their sucking black hole is a lot smaller than ours is I guess.

[Paul Ross]

This shows that the artificially extreme low wages enforced throughout China is now giving the CCCP the ability to push the envelope of major scientific frontiers...faster than we currently are.

High-energy phsyics is only the visible tip of the iceberg here...one where they wish to broadcast their achievement (prospectively) and brag. Other areas where with great progress apparently are nano-technology, where they are more discreet and secretive in their successes...due to the strategic and military implications for reversing the playing field advantages we take for granted.

[Nihil Obstat]

Chinese... artificial sun... fusion reactor 1/15th the cost of similar devices...

what could possibly go wrong?

[agere_contra]

I can't remember off hand, but I think you're right. Its something to do with the lithium neutron-catching outerlininh being turned into poisonous Beryllium. Some Freeper no doubt can chime in here.

Anyway: good luck to the Chinese if they can get this working.

[bill1952]

Tokamak fusion device

Whats new about that concept? - Seems I remember some departments at Bell Labs working on parts of that back in the 70s.

There are HUGE engineering obstacles to overcome.

They can throw 37 trillion at it, for all the good that it will do.

[3dognight]

If China is making them we should be able to pick them up at Wal-Mart in no time. Sweeeeet.

[mlc9852]

"Li + n 4He + T"

"The lithium absorbs the neutron and generates a tritium while releasing a bit more energy in the process. There is plenty of lithium available in nature.

However, the neutron problem is not totally eliminated through the above solution. Not all neutrons will fuse with the lithium, and instead fuse with other parts of the reactor, possibly inducing radioactivity. Neutron multipliers may be used in a reactor to compensate for this neutron loss, or reactions that yield more neutrons might be implimented, such as 7Li + n 4He + T + n. As for limiting the amount of high-level nuclear waste, careful selection of the materials used are expected to minimize the handling and disposal of such radioactive material. For example, the development of advanced, low-activation materials (like vanadium-based materials), or through the use of neutron-free reactions, could be implimented in future reactors."

http://library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/fusion_dt/fusion_dt.html

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

They had one of those things in the movie, SPIDERMAN 2.

Very dangerous.

Maybe the great leader of North Korea will be on hand just in case something goes wrong.

Superheroes are rare on this side of the planet!!

[Sam Cree]

I don't see how that can call it a sun, if it's not up in the sky. Otherwise, it sounds very interesting.

[HEY4QDEMS]

So China's bought into that perrennial money-pit of big science.

I say good, it's about time that we stop placing irrational importance and exorbitant capital on being first and focus more on benefiting from the fruits of other countries.

You build it. If it works and we like it we'll build one too with your technology of course.

[doc30]

It is scary that China is able to accomplish so muc and such a smaller budget. Interesting that the U.S. isn't listed as a country that has built and experimented with a Tokomak reactor. Also intersting that the most powerful particle accelerator ever proposed, the superconducting supercollider, was scrapped by a democrat congress because the money to build it and it's physical location was in Republican districts. Why does Washigton want to do everything it can to make the U.S. lose her lead in science and technology. It's like slow erosion that no one wants to do anything about until the levee finally breaks.

[agere_contra]

I also remember something about Helium cavitation: all those alpha particles whacking into the superstructure and turning into plain ordinary Helium - but inside the supporting walls.

Still - if fusion could be made to work economically these other issues could no doubt be resolved in time.

[NTW64]

My thoughts exactly..